Chana Salad is a protein-packed, gluten-free, healthy brown chana salad that happens to be delicious too. It is quick and easy to prepare loaded with a refreshing yogurt dressing. You will surely fall in love with this wholesome vegetarian salad. And it will soon become part of your healthy eating regime.
For lunch, I always stick to something that is healthy, fulfilling, and can literally be a one-bowl meal. That is the reason chana salad has become one of my favorite weekday lunch.
All the meal prep for the chana salad is done during the morning time. During lunch hours, simply dress the chana salad and enjoy it. Chana Salad would also pack up nicely for the office lunchbox as well.
We hope you all LOVE Kala Chana Salad! Because it’s:
Healthy and Nutritious
Totally Tasty
Quick and Easy
Gluten-Free
Protein Packed
and a one-pot fulfilling meal
Salad Dressing: What makes this kala chana salad even more pleasant is luscious, and refreshing mint dressing. The dressing is the star of the show. It is bursting with summer flavors pairing perfectly with the texture of the salad. The freshness of mint and coriander add the herb taste to the dressing.
If you want to try any other dressing recipes with this salad, here are – 6 BEST SALAD DRESSING RECIPES
Brown Chana: The brown chana is an excellent source of gluten-free, vegan protein. In the Indian sub-continent, it is widely used to prepare a variety of curries and everyday side-dishes.
For the salad, you can either boil brown chana in a pressure cooker (also read: 10 Best Pressure Cooker Recipes) or cook it in an instant pot. Canned/tinned chana can also be used for making the salad.
Vegetables: There are no rules when it comes to the choice of vegetables in this chana salad. You can add any variety of seasonal vegetables of personal choice in the salad. In case of mushrooms, zucchini, broccoli, or squash, toss them lightly in a teaspoon of olive oil.
How To Build A Healthy Salad?
- Don’t stop at one or two vegetables. Try to make it as colorful as possible with the best available seasonal greens and veggies.
- A combination of fruits and vegetables can also be used in a salad to keep it rich in fiber and Vitamins.
- Avoid adding any fried or calorie loaded toppings for the crunch. That would just kill the purpose of a healthy salad.
- Pick your protein for the salad wisely. The meats laced with too much fat are a big no for any healthy salad. Roasted chicken, boiled beans, or pan-fried tofu make a delicious protein packed salad.
- Keep the dressing light and simple. Too much cream, mayo, and cheese is not going to make the right dressing for the healthy salad.
Can you eat salad on gluten free diet?
Yes, you can eat a variety of vegetables, fruit, whole grains, meats, dairy, seafood, and rice-based salads on a gluten-free diet. Any salad which is free of wheat-containing components such as bread and pasta is safe for a gluten-free diet.
Other Gluten-Free Salad Recipes You Might Like:
Watch Healthy Chana Salad Recipe Video:
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Healthy Chana Salad
Ingredients
- 2 Cup brown chickpeas (kala chana)
- ½ Cup chopped onion
- ½ Cup chopped cucumber
- ½ Cup chopped tomato
- ½ Cup diced boiled potato
- ¼ Cup chopped coriander (cilantro)
- Juice of one lemon
Ingredients For Dressing
- ¼ Cup mint leaves
- ¼ Cup fresh coriander leaves
- ½ Cup greek yogurt/curd
- 2 clove garlic
- Salt to taste
- ½ teaspoon whole peppercorns or to taste
- ¼ Cup extra virgin olive oil
Instructions
Prep Work:
- Soak chickpeas (chana) overnight or for at least 4 – 5 hours. After soaking time, drain all the water from the chana.
- Boil chana in a pressure cooker with a dash of salt and approximately 1 ½ cups of water. Do not overcook the chana as it might turn mushy.
- Transfer the boiled chana to a colander. This step will drain the excess liquid and allow chana to cool down completely before adding to the salad.
- Combine all the dressing ingredients in a blender. Grind to a smooth consistency. Transfer to a jar and keep in the fridge till required.
- Chop all the vegetables, mix and keep in the fridge.
Prepare Salad:
- Add the boiled chana to the chopped vegetables and mix nicely.
- Pour mint dressing over the salad and toss gently.
- Sprinkle fresh coriander leaves, squeeze lemon juice and a drizzle of extra virgin olive oil.
- Serve healthy chana salad immediately.
Recipe Notes:
- To cook chana perfectly in a pressure cooker, 3 – 4 whistles over low heat are good enough. It approximately takes 15 minutes to become al-dente. Or you can cook chana in an instant pot as well.
- Do not add too much water while boiling the chana.
- To keep the salad crunchy avoid adding warm chana to the salad.
- If brown chana is not available, you can subsitute it with white chickpeas (safed chole/kabuli chana).
- Salad dressing can be prepared in advance and stored in the fridge for 3 – 4 days.
- Recommended Equipment: Salad Mixing Bowl, Blender
Deepthi Shankar says
I’m on a salad making spree these days. Will make this
Hina Gujral says
Hope you like it. It is one of my recent favorite salad 🙂
Antara Roy says
Nice article Mam and salad is so healthy too. One request – Please write an article on how to shoot professional food photography with the smartphone.
Hina Gujral says
Thank you. Will try for sure.
Yuvraj kore says
Hey I Love Coffee, specially Adrak Wali Coffee Please provide a different way to make coffee.
Jayalakshmi says
Tasty and healthy salad wil prepare for my family soon
Hina Gujral says
Please do try it and let us know how did you like it.